Practitioners of Brane

As explained by an Advanced Practitioner in the Other Hand Path
All humans have the ability to petition Phasma in order to harness Brane, but not all Brane Practitioners are created equal. It is my belief that some humans have an innate ability to commune with Phasma and create the world in their own image. After all, isn’t that what humans do best? Whether you believe in the Old Religions or the New Sciences, all agree that the pinnacle of humanity resides in their ability to create. The Phasma are here as our newest tool of creation. Brane is the material needed to build what we desire. Operating through science or religion, different humans will use different methods to create. Here, I will outline some of the common monikers of these methods.

Objectors

These people do just this; they object to the Phasma Arts. Stubbornness through science or religion, the effects are still the same. They are often holed in towns and cities that waste energy through generator-powered Faraday Domes, closed off to the wonders of the world around them. Some believe Phasmas are all a mass hallucination; others settle with demons and devils meant to tempt the common man. Regardless, they are living in a self-made delusion. Many of these cities have gone so far as to completely shut themselves off from the outside world, not telling their children of Phasmas and their magic at all.

Passive Practitioners

Calling these people practitioners is a favor for them, as they don’t do much in the way of practicing the Phasma Arts. Yes, they may have an alter dedicated to a Phasma, where they leave them their favorite cigars or most loved objects. Or they may use a tool powered through Brane. But they don’t truly comprehend the complexities of the Brane they could be harnessing. You will often find these passive practitioners in general stores or occult shops, surrounding the latest object or text that was just released. Anybody with any knowledge of the Phasma Arts knows, however, that you cannot learn it through books, you must apprentice under somebody who has already mastered the Phasma Arts. The techniques they learn may solve a simple problem or provide some modicum of protection, but no truly powerful Phasma will give them the time of day. Occasionally a miracle may happen. And I do mean to use the word miracle, because it was nothing in their words or actions that caused such an incredible feat of power. It is only by the grace of the Phasma that they were saved at all.

Old Way Practitioners

Old Way Practitioners are all about the petition. Their primary method is to create lasting relationships with certain Phasma in order to use the Brane they possess when it is needed. Many traditions go about the petition in different ways, using different sigils to call upon the Phasma. This is necessary as certain Phasma respond better to one tradition over others. The sigils and chants that they use to petition Phasma cannot be found in books or in shops. Rather, it must be passed down from another practitioner. Often, these words come from the very first humans who spoke to the Phasma — many of whom cared a bit more about the nuisances of human life when we first arrived on Phasmatum. Typically in the Phasma Arts of the Old Way, practitioners seek to create mutually beneficial relationships with Phasma. In return, Phasma will offer up powers when needed. It can often take years to build relationships with the Phasma in order to access their true powers. It is quite a bit like marriage — a lot of hard work and very little payoff — however, once a relationship is secured, practitioners are able to access these powers without fear of retaliation. Naturally occurring gemstones in Phasmatum allow a practitioner to save the power given to them by a Phasma for a short period of time. Of course, a practitioner must know which gemstones to use according to the tradition they follow. The Brane housed in these gemstones are limited. Each one will house only one type of power a Phasma possesses and can only be used a few times before it needs to be recharged. However, if Old Way Practitioners need more power for a short period of time, they are able to fashion sigils in the moment in order to petition a Phasma to do the work on their behalf. These petitions are not to be taken lightly and should only be done in times of immediate danger. To be frivolous about it runs the risk of offending the Phasma, thus cutting off a relationship which took years to form. Needless to say, there are clear limitations when it comes to practicing the Old Way.

Other Hand Practitioners

Some people are convinced that choosing to use these methods are akin to dark magic. And I will admit, that there are some methods that could be considered dangerous or even downright “evil.” But I don’t subscribe to terms of light and dark. And even so, those who subscribe to this viewpoint are placing human morality on beings that are beyond human comprehension. It is important to realize the Phasma are not human (though sometimes they may present themselves as such) or even an intelligent species. Not in the way that we think of intelligence. Rather, Phasma are personified tools whose sole purpose is to be used by humans in order to create. When you take this fact into consideration, it is a lot easier to justify extracting powers in less than pleasant ways.
When humans needed milk, we extracted it from cows and goats to fill our needs. The cows and goats were producing enough and would continue to produce so long as the circumstances were correct. In the same way, when humans need Brane, we can extract it from Phasma and the Phasma will produce more of it. Since Phasma can be fickle, the Other Hand Practitioners methods are considered to be the most effective means of reliably conjuring Brane for their needs. The methods should not be used by a novice practitioner, as it is important to extract the right amount of Brane quickly. If one extracts too much Brane, they run the risk of the gem exploding and releasing chaotic Brane into their city. If one cannot extract the Brane quickly enough, the Phasma will retaliate.
Some highly advanced Other Hand Practitioners find that the extraction method does not produce the amount of Brane necessary for their creations. When this happens, they temporarily merge their energies with the Phasma, bending them to their will (much in the way, we must domestic horses in order to ride them). Again, this is in no way evil — we must remember the Phasma are tools. However, a practitioner must have a very strong will in order to not be overcome by the Phasma. When they allow the Phasma to get the upper hand, they run the risk of being taken over by their tool and succumbing to a disease that manifests itself as a Vita Hirundo (plural hirundines). There is no known cure for Hirundines. At this point, the only option is death. For this reason, Unwilling Mergers with Phasma is frowned upon and even illegal in many places. It is important to note, however, that it is for the risk to the humans, not the Phasma, that these laws exist.
One way to circumvent Unwilling Mergers is through the use of rare gems; these are gems of such a high clarity that they are actually able to capture the entire essence of the Phasma within that gem and bound them to it. This allows the Practitioner to freely call upon the Phasma until such time as the gem is shattered. Unfortunately, few have been able to get their hands on such a gem and when they do, they rarely let it go.

New Way Practitioners

New Way Practitioners focus on the scientific aspects of Brane production through the observation and study of the Phasma. Much like the Other Hand Practitioners, these “scientists” will extract Brane from Phasma; however, their primary purpose is to study it in an attempt to replicate it. New Way Practitioners have technology that allows them to put Phasma in stasis for a short period of time. (When Phasma are not able to feed off the energy of believing humans, they will eventually dissipate from the natural plane.) Although there have been no known successes in replicating Brane, New Way Practitioners have been able to distill Brane and use it as an alternative energy source in certain cities. Of course through distilling it, the New Way Practitioners are taking away its power to create and transforming it into the power to maintain. But perhaps over time, they will find a way to be able to use Brane, at will, without the need to include Phasma in the equation.

Type

Manual, Magical / Occult